Fruit and fruit dip

My mom recently bought me a triffle bowl and I am having lot's of fun with it. The other day I made this fruit creation. I just filled the triffle bowl with various fruit ie. fresh pineapple, strawberries, manderine oranges, and grapes. Then I made this yummy dip to go with it. I think this dip would go with any fruit.
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix until well blended

Peanut Butter Bars

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made them the other day. They are REALLY goood! I have just about eaten the whole pan.

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

1.In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
2.In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Mrs Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb Butter or Marg
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Soda
6 Cups Flour
4 Cups Chocolate Chips

Beat butter, sugar, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla 3-4 minutes. Add dry ingredients.
Place dough on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

These cookies are my favorite! They make a lot so sometimes I just half the recipe and I use 1 egg and one egg white.

Valentine Treats

I LOVE making Valentine treats so I just wanted to share pictures of what I made


*Update...The picture on top are these oreo things, I don't know what they're called but basically, it's just crushed up oreo cookies, mixed with cream cheese, dipped in chocolate. Heaven!

Sugar Cookies

I got a request to make about 100 sugar cookies for a lady that wanted to buy them from me to give away for Christmas so my husband and I spend the last 2 days making and decorating cookies.
It's a pretty good recipe so here it is:

2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Butter softened
Cream that together and then add
3 Beaten Eggs
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
4 tsp Baking Powder
6 Cups Flour

Cool in Fridge for an hour and then roll out and cut into fun shapes
bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes

Chocolate Dipped Rice krispie Treats

This is a treat that is super easy to make but very impressive. I learned this one from my friend Liesl. You make Rice Krispie Treats (Melt a few TBSP Butter in the microwave and then add a bag of Marshmallows and melt. Then add a bunch of Rice Krispie cereal - I don't measure, I just pour a bunch in. Press into a pan and let cool. Cut and dip the squars into some melted Cholocate chips - see picture. For added effect, drizzle white chocolate on top. In this case, I just had some leftover frosting from decorating the Gingerbread cookies so I used that instead.

Gingerbread Cookies

I found this recipe online here.

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  

1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost or decorate when cool.

Spritz Cookies

1 lb Butter
2 Cups Sugar
4 egg yolks
4 3/4 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 TBSP Almond Extract
1 tsp Vanilla

Cream the Butter, Sugar and Eggs first, then mix all other ingredients.
Cool for about 1/2 hour to an hour before putting in the cookie press.
Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes.

*Optional- Separate dough into a few different bowls and add food coloring to make it fun.

Pecan Pie

I found this recipe here online and thought I would try it. It was pretty easy but I won't taste it until Thanksgiving. It looks pretty good though.

3 Eggs
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Flour
1 Cup Corn Syrup
2 TBSP Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Pecans
1 (9 inch unbaked pie shell)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie shell in a 9 inch pie pan.
In a medium bowl, gently beat eggs. Stir in sugar and flour, then the syrup, butter and vanilla. Fold in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; knife inserted in center of pie should come out clean.

No Frosting Chocolate Cake

2/3 Cup Oil
6 TBSP Cocoa
2 Eggs
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Cups Water
2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Soda

Mix all ingredients. Pour in a 9x13 pan.
Top with chocolate chips and Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes

*I always replace the oil with applesauce

Serve with vanilla ice cream or cool whip

Quick Breakfast Cake

I made this today and it only took me about 5 minutes to mix it up and then 25 to bake. It's really good, I especially like the cinnamon topping :)


Cinnamon Topping

2/3 cup Brown sugar
3 T. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3 T margarine melted
combine and set aside

Batter

2 cup flour
1/2 c sugar
1 T. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c, milk
1/4 c oil
1 egg

Mix dry ingrdients. Add milk, oil, egg. Stir only until moistened. Pour 1/2 batter in pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cinnamon topping. Add rest of batter and remaining topping.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes
Serve Warm
makes 8x8 pan